Buying a Faceting Machine
Buying a faceting machine means making compromises between economy, looks, and technical features. Learn what questions to ask before you make…
Online Education
For Gem Enthusiasts
- 20,204 Members
- 1,719 Articles
- 261 Gemology Businesses
Ways to Start Your Gemology Education
Join Our Thriving Community
1,719
Articles
20,204
Members
261
Directory Listings
The world's best gem articles, published weekly.
Most Recent Articles
Natural Pearls vs Cultured Pearls
Many consumers don’t understand the difference between natural pearls and cultured pearls. Learn what these terms mean and how to distinguish…
Villiaumite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
A little-known and rare collector’s gemstone, villiaumite is very difficult to facet. Its toxicity also makes it inadvisable to handle or wear.…
10X Loupe for Gemologists and Jewelers
The 10X loupe is the gemologist’s best friend. Learn how to examine gemstones for fractures, inclusions, color, and much more with this simple…
Should You Cut the Gem Pavilion First?
Experts might successfully cut gems crown first, but cutting pavilion first is usually the best and most practical method. Read this article to…
Appraising Pearls: How to Grade Pearls
Novice gemologists and jewelers may find appraising pearls difficult. Our guide will show you how to appraise and grade different types of cultured…
Gem, Mineral, and Rock Scanner Identification Apps Review
How accurate are gem, mineral, and rock scanner identification apps? Our review covers the strengths and weaknesses of over 20 apps.
Gemstone Faceting Terms: A Glossary for Students
A glossary of frequently encountered gemstone faceting terms for the student gemologist. Our list covers gemology, gem cutting, and equipment.…
How it Works: Recutting Gems to Maximize Value
Recutting gems that have been poorly cut, whether commercially or native, can add significant value. See how precision custom cutting can transform…
Premium guides and must-read resources.
Recommended guides and resources
Gemstone Encyclopedia
Our Gemstone Encyclopedia has information on over 300 gemstones, from traditional and popular jewelry standards to collector’s stones that rarely appear for sale. Each entry has photos and detailed information about the gem’s properties. Entries for jewelry stones also have price guidelines and discussions of their most important value factors.
January Birthstone
Although many associate January's birthstone, garnet, with the color red, they can come in a variety of colors including red, yellow, orange, green and even blue.
February Birthstone
Thanks to its beauty and relative abundance, the February birthstone, amethyst, is used in all types of jewelry: from the mass market to the finest custom couture pieces.
July Birthstone
This vibrant red gemstone is the July birthstone and is closely associated with love, passion, and romance. While there are affordable options to be found, the largest and most beautifully colored rubies can be very expensive; the best rubies may be sold for the highest cost-per-carat costs of any colored gemstone.
August Birthstone
Peridot is the August birthstone. It is also sometimes called the “evening emerald” because of its unique capacity to sparkle under natural or artificial light. However, it should not be confused with emerald because peridot has its own distinct characteristics setting it apart from other gemstones.
September Birthstone
The September birthstone is sapphire. Sapphires are members of the gem species corundum. Depending on the exact chemistry of individual stones, sapphires may present a whole spectrum of colors with the exception of red. This is because red sapphires are put into their own category and called rubies.
October Birthstone
Pink tourmaline is the modern October birthstone, loved for its breathtaking beauty and awe-inspiring variations of the color pink.
November Birthstone
The most common birthstone for November is yellow topaz however citrine, another lovely yellow gemstone, has been rising in popularity as an alternative and is much easier to purchase.
December Birthstone
Blue zircon is known a modern December birthstones alongside blue topaz and tanzanite. The more traditional December birthstones are lapis lazuli and turquoise.
IGS Become Member